3 Reasons Baby Boomers Are More Likely To Get Hep C

Hepatitis C is one of several viral infections of the liver; if left untreated, the condition can result in liver damage, liver cancer, or even death. The “baby boomer” generation (those born between 1945 and 1965) has long been known to be five times more likely to have hepatitis C than other generations. In the United States, hepatitis C is four times more prevalent than HIV. Like HIV, hepatitis C is spread through infected blood or body fluids. Historically, the baby boomers were among those with the highest risk for getting the disease. But according to a 2020 press release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), multiple generations are now being majorly impacted by hep C.

A person can get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, but there is no vaccine for hepatitis C. However, when the disorder is diagnosed before damage (such as scaring) to the liver occurs, it is curable.

Symptoms of Hep C

Often, those infected with hepatitis C remain asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms) for many years. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

Lack of appetite
Fatigue
Nausea and vomiting
Itchy skin
Bruising
Bleeding
Jaundice (yellowish tinge to the skin)
Dark Urine
Ascites (fluid buildup in your abdomen)
Lower extremity swelling
Weight loss
Hepatic encephalopathy (confusion, drowsiness, and slurred speech)
Spider angiomas (spiderlike blood vessels appearing on the skin)

The Road to Eliminate Hep C: What You Can Do

Hepatitis C Stigma

There has long been a stigma associated with hep C and IV drug use. A 2016 study has debunked this myth. While IV drug use is one risk factor, the 2016 Lancet report found that baby boomers were more likely at high risk of having hepatitis C from unsafe medical procedures and a lack of screening protocols than as a result of IV drug use.

Risks of Hepatitis C

Old data, compiled before 2018, revealed that the highest hepatitis C infection rates occurred during the 1940s and 1960s. Baby boomers were historically at the highest risk of hep C due to several factors, including:

Unsafe medical protocols
No screening methods for blood banks
No protocols for individuals to undergo hepatitis C screening

New Statistical Findings

A 2020 report released by the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention showed that chronic (long-term) hepatitis C has a significant impact on every generation today. The report underscored previous study findings that the baby boomer

generation was the primary age group impacted by hepatitis C.

The new study, published by the CDC, revealed how younger adults—including millennials (those born from 1981 to 1996) –are being impacted by hepatitis C in numbers equivalent to baby boomers. Generation X (born from 1966 to 1980) was also found to have a growing number of people with hepatitis C.

These higher rates of hep C in the younger generations are boosting the number of babies born with hepatitis C because the disease can be transmitted to a fetus or infant before or after childbirth.

The 2020 study looked at age groups of those with hepatitis C in 2018. The new statistics revealed:

Millennials (adults in their 20s and 30s) comprised 36.5% of newly reported chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infections.
Baby boomers (adults in their mid-50s to early 70s) comprised 36.3% of newly reported chronic hepatitis C infections.
Generation X (adults in their late 30s to early 50s) comprised 23.1% of newly reported chronic hepatitis C infections.

Why Are Younger Generations Now at Risk?

The risk of hepatitis C in those under 30 years of age is higher among those who use injectable drugs than youth and younger adults who do not inject drugs. Other risk factors for hep C include:

Sharing nonsterile tattoo ink or needles
Body piercings
Sharing needles
Sharing bloody personal care items (such as razors or toothbrushes)
Work-related needle sticks (for professionals such as health care providers)

Those at high risk for hepatitis C at any age include those who:

Received a blood transfusion before 1992
Received blood products (such as for clotting problems) before 1987
Receive kidney dialysis
Have a history of IV drug use
Have what is considered high-risk sex (such as with multiple partners)
Reside with a person with Hepatitis C
Care for a person with Hepatitis C
Were born between the years of 1945 and 1965
Shared tools to snort cocaine
Were born to a mother diagnosed with hepatitis C

New CDC Recommendations for Hep C Screening

“The hepatitis C epidemic has changed, and so should the nation’s testing guidelines; the CDC wants all of us to get tested and get cured.” Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention says.

As new study data are released, the CDC is stepping up to change screening recommendations, including:

Adults 18 and older should all have a one-time screening
All women should have a screening during pregnancy
Those with a history of high-risk factors as well as ongoing high-risk factors should have regular screenings